Carcharhinus falciformis

Description:

The silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Near Threatened globally but Vulnerable in some regions due to continued declines in their populations around the world.

C. falciformis are migratory and found in oceanic and coastal habitats of tropical water. Silky sharks live in a variety of habitats throughout their life and have been found to migrate, regularly and cyclically crossing international borders. While they may not travel as much as other species, they may cover large distances in a short period of time (Clarke, C. et al. 2011). They exhibit particularly low productivity and show slow recovery from overexploitation. C. falciformis are vulnerable to fishing pressure, both directed and bycatch. Their fins are an important component of the global shark fin trade accounting for approximately 3.5 % of sharks in the Hong Kong market. C. falciformis populations have declined globally, with some regions experiencing declines of more than 90%.